VICTORIA — By the time the premier made it around to resigning, there was no question that she was a leader under siege. Down in the polls. Multiple policy failures. Caucus in open revolt. Noisy resignation from a member of the provincial assembly who told reporters the premier had stopped listening to the public.

For all that, the turn of events was pretty shocking. Two years after leading her party to victory, with the next trip to the polls still almost two years away, the first woman to be elected premier of her province was out.

Still there it was: Jan. 22, 2014. Kathy Dunderdale announced she’d had her fill and resigned as premier of Newfoundland.

“Dunderdale was dumped, booted out, by her colleagues, who saw the writing on the wall, were looking out for their own arses, and knew they were going to sink into oblivion with her at the helm,” columnist Bob Wakeham wrote in the St John’s Telegram.

Political expediency notwithstanding, there were tributes too: “As the first female premier in her province, she stands as a role model for other women who may hope to run for public office. Public service is an honour and a privilege and I want to personally thank Premier Dunderdale for her service, for being an ally and for willingly trading time with her family for the good of her province. “

The author of those words was Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta — then secure in office, or so it seemed to most observers. But this week she had to tender her resignation in face of a revolt not unlike the one that had forced Dunderdale’s exit a month-and-a-half earlier.

The case against Redford was more closely tied to her personal failings, like the notorious $45,000 trip to South Africa. But it still added up to a want of confidence among her own supporters.

“Her popularity was too low, her caucus too mutinous, her party too divided,” columnist Graham Thomson wrote in the Edmonton Journal. “Even someone as smart, ambitious, capable and just plain stubborn as Redford could not weather the storm.”

Redford made direct reference to “party and caucus infighting” in her resignation speech and even made a grim joke about it.

Noting how the party under her leadership had won a surprise victory in the provincial election two years earlier on a promise to “govern with unity and build prosperity,” she said: “At least we got the prosperity right.”

Not long after Redford delivered those words in the rotunda of the Alberta legislature building Wednesday, B.C. Premier Christy Clark put out a press release that praised her contributions, thanked her for service to country and province, and wished her well in whatever she chooses to take on next.

Clark, it should be noted, has more than passing familiarity with the predicament that brought down Redford. This time last year she faced a serious revolt of her own, brought on by dismal polling numbers and the growing sense that the B.C. Liberal party was destined for defeat.

Like Redford, Clark had secured the leadership with the support of just one member of the caucus she inherited from her predecessor. While most Liberal MLAs had come around to supporting her, others formed themselves into a grievance committee that gave her a rougher ride in the caucus room than she faced some days in the house.

Then in late February of last year, the New Democratic Party Opposition spoiled the pre-election session of the legislature by blowing the whistle on a scheme, originating in the premier’s office, to use public resources to build Liberal support in selected “ethnic communities.”

There went any hope of momentum from the legislature session. Nor did Clark help matters by stalling on cleaning house and delivering a proper apology. The chorus of boos inside the party continued to grow.

It all came down to back-to-back meetings of cabinet and caucus on March 3 and 4, amid speculation about showdowns and resignations. B.C. had seen this kind of thing before with the Social Credit and New Democratic Party, though never this close to an election.

But at the end of it Clark faced down her critics, making it clear that she wasn’t going anywhere without a shot at the election. The doomsayers, lacking a ready alternative at that late date, accepted they had no real choice but to let her have her shot, unlikely as it seemed to most observers, me included, that she could win.

So Clark survived and so did the semblance of party unity.

“We are as united behind Christy Clark as we’ve ever been,” said deputy premier Rich Coleman, which is to say that those who had their doubts about her from the outset would go on having them until election day.

The election settled the matter of course, as elections tend to do for a time. Many of her sharpest critics did not run again and fully 50 per cent of the members of the postelection caucus were newcomers. Plus no Liberal could seriously dispute Clark’s role in delivering the majority of seats for her party.

But to get to the winner’s circle, she first had to face down the threat of internal revolt.

Christy Clark had to be tough to do that. Just ask the leaders who didn’t survive.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Share

Vaughn Palmer: First Newfoundland, then Alberta lost a premier; why not B.C.?

Video

Today's News

Best of Postmedia

Swoop has yet to pick up a single customer, but Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carrier is already talking about expanding into a market that is just taking off. Launched by WestJet Airlines Ltd., Calgary-based Swoop started booking customers this month for flights that begin this summer connecting five Canadian cities. It is offering discounted fares on […]

Director Ryan Coogler admits he was surprised by the initial feedback he got from the bigwigs at Marvel Studios when he began sharing his vision for its next franchise, Black Panther. After all, he was set to make a $200-million epic blockbuster; a popcorn movie that mixed dazzling special effects, heart-stopping action sequences and sprawling […]

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star took one look at the fit, spandex-laden forms of the cross-country skiers and declared: “I have found my new sport.” Ormsby wasn’t a typical out-of-shape scribe. She had been an all-American volleyball player at Ohio State, so knew athletics from both sides. […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.